Peter Budaj
Encyclopedia
Peter Budaj is a Slovak
professional ice hockey
goaltender
currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
as the first pick for the Avalanche and 63rd overall. He wears number 31 for the Avalanche prior to playing for the Hershey Bears
of the American Hockey League
(AHL) and the Toronto St. Michael's Majors
of the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL).
In his first NHL season in 2005–06, he appeared in 34 games while backing up David Aebischer
and then José Théodore
. He recorded a combined 47 wins in the next two seasons while splitting duties with Théodore. His first NHL playoff appearances came in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
in relief of Théodore in Colorado's second round matchup against the eventual Stanley Cup
champions Detroit Red Wings
.
Budaj played his 100th NHL game on November 3, 2007, in a 4-3 home loss against the Vancouver Canucks
.
For the 2008–09
season, Budaj was named the starting goalie for the Colorado Avalanche for the first time. He and backup goaltender Andrew Raycroft
struggled throughout the season as the Avalanche finished last in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs for the second time in last three seasons.
On June 29, 2009, Budaj was re-signed by the Avalanche to a one-year contract for the 2009–10
season. He started the season playing as the Avalanche backup goalie to Craig Anderson, formerly of the Florida Panthers
. Before his first appearance in net, Budaj was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus and was completely isolated from the rest of the team until he was cleared to play by the coaching staff. Budaj finally made his first appearance of the season on November 4, against the Phoenix Coyotes
. He stopped 28 of 29 shots and backstopped the Avs to a 4-1 victory. Budaj made his second post season appearance on April 22, 2010 against the San Jose Sharks
, when he relieved Craig Anderson at 11:05 in the third period. The Sharks won the game 5-0, with one goal scored against Budaj.
On April 1, 2011, Budaj became the first Slovakian goaltender to reach 100 career NHL wins with a 4-3 shootout win over Phoenix.
Budaj signed a two-year contract worth $2.3 million with the Montreal Canadiens
on July 1, 2011.
, a popular religious character from TV's The Simpsons
painted on the back of his masks. In 2008, Budaj began wearing a mask featuring the character Altaïr from the popular video game Assassin's Creed
.
The mask primarily worn by Budaj during the 2008–09 season features a burgundy colored version of the comic book hero The Hulk
, although he did continue wearing the Assassin's Creed mask as well. Budaj's 2009–10 mask features his racing idol Valentino Rossi
on one side, the Avalanche's alternate foot logo on the other, and retains Ned Flanders on the back.
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Playing career
Budaj was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 draft2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
as the first pick for the Avalanche and 63rd overall. He wears number 31 for the Avalanche prior to playing for the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) and the Toronto St. Michael's Majors
Toronto St. Michael's Majors
The Toronto St. Michael's Majors, was a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL).
In his first NHL season in 2005–06, he appeared in 34 games while backing up David Aebischer
David Aebischer
David Aebischer , is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League . Before returning to North America in 2011 Aebischer had spent four seasons with HC Lugano of the Nationalliga A in Switzerland. He has also played for the...
and then José Théodore
José Théodore
José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
. He recorded a combined 47 wins in the next two seasons while splitting duties with Théodore. His first NHL playoff appearances came in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions...
in relief of Théodore in Colorado's second round matchup against the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champions Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
.
Budaj played his 100th NHL game on November 3, 2007, in a 4-3 home loss against the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
.
For the 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
season, Budaj was named the starting goalie for the Colorado Avalanche for the first time. He and backup goaltender Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Joseph Ernest Raycroft is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins 135th overall in 1998, he won the Calder Trophy with the club in 2004 as rookie of the year...
struggled throughout the season as the Avalanche finished last in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs for the second time in last three seasons.
On June 29, 2009, Budaj was re-signed by the Avalanche to a one-year contract for the 2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
season. He started the season playing as the Avalanche backup goalie to Craig Anderson, formerly of the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
. Before his first appearance in net, Budaj was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus and was completely isolated from the rest of the team until he was cleared to play by the coaching staff. Budaj finally made his first appearance of the season on November 4, against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
. He stopped 28 of 29 shots and backstopped the Avs to a 4-1 victory. Budaj made his second post season appearance on April 22, 2010 against the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, when he relieved Craig Anderson at 11:05 in the third period. The Sharks won the game 5-0, with one goal scored against Budaj.
On April 1, 2011, Budaj became the first Slovakian goaltender to reach 100 career NHL wins with a 4-3 shootout win over Phoenix.
Budaj signed a two-year contract worth $2.3 million with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on July 1, 2011.
Mask
Budaj, a devout Christian, is perhaps best known for having the depiction of Ned FlandersNed Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
, a popular religious character from TV's The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
painted on the back of his masks. In 2008, Budaj began wearing a mask featuring the character Altaïr from the popular video game Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed is an award-winning historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The bulk of the game takes place during the Third Crusade, with the plot revolving around a sect known as the Secret Order of...
.
The mask primarily worn by Budaj during the 2008–09 season features a burgundy colored version of the comic book hero The Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, although he did continue wearing the Assassin's Creed mask as well. Budaj's 2009–10 mask features his racing idol Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
on one side, the Avalanche's alternate foot logo on the other, and retains Ned Flanders on the back.
Awards & achievements
- 2001–02 OHLOntario Hockey LeagueThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
Second All-Star Team - 2006–07 NHL YoungStars GameNHL YoungStars GameThe NHL YoungStars Game started in 2002, to replace the Heroes of Hockey Old-Timers game during the All-Star Weekend activities. The first four games were played as separate games to the actual All-Star Game, but starting in 2008, it was changed to become part of the NHL Super Skills Competition,...
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T/OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1999–00 1999–2000 OHL season The 1999–2000 OHL season was the 20th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Barrie Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Plymouth Whalers.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:... |
Toronto St. Michael's Majors Toronto St. Michael's Majors The Toronto St. Michael's Majors, was a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
34 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 1676 | 112 | 1 | 4.01 | .882 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | OHL | 37 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 1996 | 95 | 3 | 2.86 | .907 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 621 | 26 | 1 | 2.51 | |||
| 2001–02 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | OHL | 42 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 1148 | 89 | 2 | 2.29 | .922 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 620 | 34 | 1 | 3.29 | .898 | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hershey Bears Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
28 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1467 | 65 | 2 | 2.66 | .911 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20.81 | .333 | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Hershey Bears | AHL | 46 | 17 | 20 | 6 | 2574 | 120 | 3 | 2.80 | .916 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hershey Bears | AHL | 59 | 29 | 25 | 2 | 3356 | 148 | 5 | 2.65 | .919 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
34 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 1802 | 86 | 2 | 2.86 | .900 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 57 | 31 | 16 | 6 | 3198 | 143 | 3 | 2.68 | .905 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 35 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 1912 | 82 | 0 | 2.57 | .903 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 107 | 6 | 0 | 3.33 | .908 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 56 | 20 | 29 | 5 | 3232 | 154 | 2 | 2.86 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 15 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 728 | 32 | 1 | 2.64 | .917 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 6.67 | .750 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 45 | 15 | 21 | 4 | 2439 | 130 | 1 | 3.20 | .895 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 242 | 101 | 91 | 27 | 13,311 | 627 | 9 | 2.83 | .902 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 116 | 7 | 0 | 3.61 | .899 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships -Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Fifth place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final standings: is relegated to Division I for the 2001 IIHF World U18 Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:... |
Slovakia | WJC18 IIHF World U18 Championships The IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World... |
5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 249 | 13 | 0 | 3.13 |
| 2001 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Group B:All times local .-Relegation round: was relegated to Division I for the 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:† Overtime victory.-Quarterfinals:January 2-Consolation round:... |
Slovakia | WJC | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 239 | 16 | 0 | 4.01 |
| 2002 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2002 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 26th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships... |
Slovakia | WJC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 212 | 11 | 1 | 3.11 |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
Slovakia | OG Ice hockey at the Olympic Games Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics... |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 179 | 6 | 0 | 2.01 |
| 2008 2008 IIHF World Championship The 2008 IIHF World Championship was played between May 2 and May 18, 2008 in the Canadian cities of Halifax and Quebec City . The two venues were the Halifax Metro Centre and the Colisée Pepsi... |
Slovakia | WC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 3.03 |
| 2010 2010 IIHF World Championship The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannheim, and one game at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen... |
Slovakia | WC | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 282 | 13 | 0 | 2.76 |
| Senior int'l totals | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 520 | 22 | 0 | 2.53 | ||